The present invention pertains generally to the field of antennas and antenna systems including, more particularly, antennas and antenna systems for use in cellular and other wireless communications systems.
While substantial recent attention has been directed to the design and implementation of cellular and other wireless communications systems and to the communications protocols utilized by those systems, surprisingly little attention has been directed to the development of improved antennas and antenna systems for use within those communications systems.
Perhaps, the reason for this is that until recently space for the deployment of antenna networks was readily available on the tops of buildings in a dense urban environment. Thus, until recently little attention was paid to the development of relatively small, aesthetically appealing antenna networks which could be deployed, for example, on light poles or telephone poles substantially at street level.
Nor was there any substantial reason, until recently, to address the issue of channeling in the "urban canyon." The term, "urban canyon," as used herein, refers to the linear open space which exists between buildings along streets, for example, in a dense urban environment. As for the issue of channeling within an urban canyon, it has been found that the exterior surfaces (walls and the like) of the buildings lining an urban canyon exhibit characteristics quite similar to the walls of a typical wave guide. Thus, when a radio frequency (RF) signal is transmitted within an urban canyon, the signal tends to propagate for the entire length of the urban canyon with very little attenuation. While this characteristic of an urban canyon may be viewed by some as advantageous, this characteristic raises a serious issue when it is desired to implement a cellular communications network within a dense urban environment. In short, this characteristic makes it difficult for mobile units and base stations alike to identify differences in the strengths of received signals, thus, making it difficult to effect necessary and proper hand-offs between and among the mobile units and base stations. To better understand this principle, one should consider a scenario where a mobile unit enters a four-way intersection within a dense urban environment (i.e., when a mobile unit reaches the intersection point of two urban canyons). Upon entering the intersection, the mobile unit is likely to receive four separate signals of substantially the same amplitude from four separate base stations, and the base stations are likely to receive signals of similar amplitude from the mobile unit. This presents a substantial risk that the mobile unit will be handed-off to an improper base station and, as a result, communications between the mobile unit and the base stations will be terminated prematurely (i.e., the call may be lost).
Another issue which must be addressed in the design of antenna networks for use in "low tier," or street level, deployment schemes is the issue of "multipath" interference. The term "multipath" refers to the tendency of an antenna in a dense urban environment (or any other environment) to receive a single (or the same) signal multiple times as the signal is reflected from objects (poles, buildings and the like) in the area proximate the antenna. To combat multipath interference, it may be desirable to employ one or more pattern or separation diversity methodologies within a given antenna network.
Given the substantial issues of channeling, multipath, size and aesthetics which must be addressed when designing antennas and antenna networks for low tier deployment within a dense urban (or other) environment, it is believed that those skilled in the art would find improved antennas and antenna networks which may be deployed in relatively small, aesthetically appealing packages, and which may provide substantial multipath and channeling mitigation, to be very useful.